Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Training and
Youth Affairs

AN EXTRA $19.8 MILLION TO FIGHT DRUGS IN SCHOOLS

A further $19.8 million over the next four years to develop a national
approach to the drug menace in our schools was today announced
in the Budget by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education,
Training and Youth Affairs, Trish Worth.

This additional funding brings the total funding for
drug education initiatives for schools to $27.3 million within the National
Illicit Drug Strategy, Tough On Drugs.

“Statistics show a worrying increase in drug use
by school students. It is a national problem requiring a national solution,”
Ms Worth said.

$7.5 million was announced in the last Budget for
a National School Drug Education Strategy and a further $10.5 million
was promised at the last election to enhance the professional development
and pre-service training of teachers, information and education for
parents, and projects representing school and community partnerships.

“The Government today delivered on that promise
and, as a result of the Council of Australian Governments meeting on
9 April 1999, an additional $9.3 million over four years has been committed
to strengthen partnerships with State and Territory Governments.”

The COAG agreement will increase the capacity of schools
and their communities to respond to illicit drug use by providing:

· the development of enhanced protocols to help school communities
develop better ways of handling drug use in the school community on
a national basis;

· educational
material for schools and building school and community awareness and
involvement in addressing drug problems; and

· resource
material to all schools for the design of local summits to strengthen
the response of schools and the communities to the challenge of drugs.

“The agreement by Heads of Government to develop a National Protocol
for drugs in schools was reaffirmed at the recent Ministerial Council
on Education, Employmen t, Training and Youth Affairs. The National
Protocol, along with the National School Drug Education Strategy, will
provide preventative educational programs, strategies for early intervention
and will inform the development of appropriate responses to drug related
incidents. It will send a clear and consistent message that illicit
drugs have absolutely no place in schools.”

“Our children are precious and the provision of
a safe and supportive learning and growing environment in our schools
is important to their future,” Ms Worth said.

Media Contact: Paul Evans 0412 544 202 or 02 6277
4337

FACT SHEET

AN EXTRA $19.8 MILLION TO FIGHT DRUGS IN SCHOOL

This additional funding responds to the supportive
role of parents and the community and reflects the Government's strong
commitment to drug education in schools. Additional funding - to the
$7.5 million over three years announced in the last Budget - totalling
$19.8 million over four years will be provided for two complementary
measures bringing the total funding for drug education initiatives in
schools to $27.3 million as part of the National Illicit Drug Strategy, Tough On Drugs,
for which total funding is now over $500 million.

1. Enhancement of the National School Drug Education
Strategy

â¢ An additional
$1 0.5 million will extend the National School Drug Education
Strategy as a preventative measure for drug misuse by young people.
This will bring total funding for the Strategy to approximately $18
million over five years, commencing in 1998-99.

â¢ Funding wi ll
enhance and build on school drug education initiatives already in place
in States and Territories and will target:

â¢ professional
development of teachers in the area of drug education;

â¢ information
and education of parents on drug matters; and

â¢ projects
representing school and community partnerships including new ways of
delivering drug education and information on healthy lifestyles.

2. National Protocols for Drugs in Schools

â¢ At the Council
of Australian Governments meeting on 9 April 1999, Heads of Government
agreed to strengthen their attack on drug pushers and drug use within
schools. This was part of a general agreement on the need for national
action involving explicit rejection by governments of the use of illicit
drugs and the harm this use causes.

â¢ Commonwealth
funding to the Portfolio of $9.3 million over four years will provide
resources to increase the capacity of schools and school communities
to respond to illicit drug use. Measures include:

â¢ development
of enhanced National protocols to help school communities find better
ways of handling drug use in the school community;

â¢ educational
material for schools and building school and community awareness and
involvement in addressing drug problems; and

â¢ resource
material to all schools for the design of local summits to strengthen
the response of schools and the communities to the challenge of drugs.